On board the modern version of the Love Boat headed for Australia

The Age

13-06-2025

Via the app on my phone, I easily connect to MedallionNet, the ship's Wi-Fi. Having encountered many frustrating challenges when connecting to Wi-Fi on other ships, this instantly puts me in a good mood.
The design
All that cruisers know and love of other Royal Class ships in the Princess fleet (including Majestic Princess and Royal Princess) is on Discovery Princess, only better. There are even more open deck areas, more premium accommodation, new dining venues and new entertainment productions.
The colour scheme is lighter and brighter, creating a sunny ambience with sand-coloured carpets, light wood and neutral curtains that make spaces feel bigger.
The heart of the ship is The Piazza, a grand atrium that spans several decks and features spiral staircases, glass-walled lifts and several bars and cafes. There's always something happening in this area, including daily dance classes, live music and the captain's champagne welcome.
The spaces
Something for everyone, from the party atmosphere of the main pool deck to the tech-forward kids' club, to the tranquil thermal spa, and the glitzy Princess Theatre with capacity for close to 1000 guests. Princess understands that multi-generational groups and travellers of all ages are their demographic, and they design accordingly.
I enjoy the adults-only pool and bar area for quiet swimming and reading time. Nearby is The Retreat, a bougie bargain at $30 for half-day access to a peaceful, private area with sun lounges, cabanas, jacuzzi, afternoon tea and a special menu of cocktails and food.
The stateroom
There are 1830 staterooms, including two Sky Suites featuring Princess' largest balconies at sea. I'm in a Balcony Cabin on Deck 10, one of 753 on the ship. This category ranges in size from 214 to 222 square feet (20 to 20.6 square metres), including the outdoor space, which accommodates a table and two chairs.
Again the colour scheme leans into the beige/bone/sand palette. A queen-sized bed can be converted to two twin beds. There's a desk with chair, a minibar fridge, a flat-screen TV and an enormous open-style wardrobe. There is plenty of storage on shelves, in drawers and in cleverly designed spaces. This, plus the abundance of USB and power outlets, gets my tick of approval. The bathroom is on the squeezy side.
The food
I've cruised on luxury ships that cost much more than Princess and eaten food that isn't half as good.
Included in the fare are three main dining rooms, a vast buffet at World Fresh Marketplace, pizza at Slice, poolside burgers, Swirls Ice Cream Bar, and pub fare at O'Malleys Irish Pub. International Cafe is a popular 24/7 takeaway venue, serving toasted sandwiches, pies, croissants and snacks.
No need to spend extra on specialty dining if you don't want to, though you probably will want to, in which case it's smart to upgrade to the Princess Premier package (from $100 a person, a day) as it includes unlimited specialty meals.
The Crown Grill steakhouse is reliably good, but don't overlook Gigi's Pizzeria, Sabatini's Italian Trattoria (order the huge veal Milanese) and Ocean Terrace Sushi.
When the ship comes to Australia, as many as 70 new menu items will be added to suit local preferences. That means more seafood, roast dinners, pavlova and Vegemite, among other things.
Wellness
No excuse to skip a workout: the 24-hour gym on Discovery Princess is better than most expensive city gyms. As well as the latest equipment and fitness machines, there are daily classes from well-known franchises including CycleBar, StretchLab and PureBarre.
For outdoor exercise and recreation, make use of the swimming pools, jogging track and basketball court.
At The Lotus Spa, enjoy massages, facials, acupuncture, nail and hair services, and a range of 'anti-ageing' treatments, including Thermage non-invasive facelifts.
The extra-fee thermal suite, The Enclave, has a sauna, steam room, hydrotherapy pool and rain shower. If you plan to visit more than twice, it's better value to buy a pass for the entire voyage.
Entertainment
It's showtime in the Princess Theatre, with all-singing, all-dancing cast productions. A new show, Viva La Musica, celebrates the best of Latin music.
There's comedy in the Laugh Lounge, movies under the stars, a raucous crowd-participation game of Deal or No Deal, and plenty of live music around the ship.
Dance classes in the Piazza are popular, as are culinary demonstrations and wine tasting. The crew gets in on the act with creative towel-folding demos, 'meet the crew' Q+As and a formal night hosted by the officers.
The crew
The friendly crew members of Discovery Princess work cohesively to create a carefree holiday environment for guests. The boss sets the tone of an organisation, and in this case, it's Captain Alessandro Genzo, a charming Italian mariner who leads by example with warmth and humility. Listen for his 'ciao, ciao' sign-off on future sailings in Australia.
Special mention to the spa therapists, who create such a convivial experience, I sign up for two more treatments after a fun manicure.
The verdict
There's a lot to love on this Love Boat. The ship is designed to be an all-round crowd-pleaser, catering for families, couples, solos and friend groups of all ages. Even at full capacity, there's room for everyone to do their thing. Dive into the onboard entertainment and dining options, and consider upgrading to the Plus or Premier package for inclusions such as Wi-Fi, specialty dining, drinks and fitness classes.
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The Princess MedallionClass app, not as intuitive as it could be, has room for improvement. We'd like to be able to make spa appointments in the app, and it would be handy to see all restaurant opening hours at a glance.
The details
From December 2025, Discovery Princess will call Sydney home for a debut summer season of voyages to New Zealand and Australian ports. This home port in the harbour city will mark 50 years since the first Princess ship sailed into Sydney in 1975.
From $2149 a person, twin share, for a 14-night New Zealand itinerary from Sydney. See princess.com
Our rating out of five
★★★★½
Swell
Isn't it great when things just work? There's an easygoing 'no worries' vibe onboard that encourages guests and crew to relax, smile and go with the ocean flow.
Not so swell
It's handy to order food and drinks on the app, but irksome when deliveries take a long time or arrive incomplete (no milk for the tea, no condiments for the fries).